"Ah!"
His hand was suddenly gripped by a figure that appeared in front of him. The man, who had been threatening to kill just a moment ago, suddenly let out a hoarse wail and struggled to break free from the figure's grasp. Upon seeing this, the figure simply gave him a gentle push, and the man's body was immediately sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground some distance away.
Meanwhile, the remaining three also looked at the figure that had appeared in front of them with hostility. When they saw that the person was another young man, their eyes showed both surprise and disdain.
At this moment, the young man who had been severely injured by them finally saw the face of the newcomer, and when he saw this unforgettable face, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
" Xiao Yan, it's actually you!"
"Hehe, I didn't expect to run into you here, Qin Yan."
Xiao Yan smiled gently. The person in front of him was none other than Qin Yan, the number one young talent of Burning Flame Valley whom he had met in the Southern Region. After their battle, Qin Yan left Burning Flame Valley to travel the continent. It was truly a coincidence that they would meet again on the Flowing Fire Plain today.
"I was completely convinced of my defeat at your hands back then. After a deep discussion with my teacher, I still planned to leave the valley and travel around to gain experience. Not long ago, I had some fortuitous encounters and heard about the Fire Banyan Ruins, so I thought I'd come here to try my luck. I never expected..."
"One wasn't enough, now another has come to die. Since you friends have gathered here today, then we old folks will reluctantly send you all on your way!"
Before Qin Yan could finish speaking, one of the remaining three suddenly interrupted him. On the other side, the person who had been knocked away by Xiao Yan earlier also quickly stepped forward. However, judging from his pale face and his right hand, which had just stopped bleeding, his condition did not seem to be very good.
"Noisy."
Xiao Yan frowned and slowly turned around to face the four people coming towards him. Qin Yan, who was beside him, was about to stop him, but seeing Xiao Yan's fearless appearance and recalling their battle before, he realized that this guy's strength was always beyond his expectations. Perhaps these four people might not be a match for Xiao Yan.
"Kid, you've got some guts, but you'll soon understand the consequences of having guts but no action!"
The old man who had spoken earlier sneered, his hand waving into a claw. With a surge of Origin Qi in his palm, he suddenly moved forward and arrived in front of Xiao Yan in the blink of an eye, grabbing at Xiao Yan's face.
In the next instant, Xiao Yan raised his left hand with lightning speed, his wrist wrapping around the opponent's elbow. As he dodged the oncoming claw, he struck the old man's left chest with Origin Qi strike. His Origin Qi surged forth, and with a crack, the old man's ribs broke, and his body flew backward. At this moment, the remaining people behind him realized that something was wrong and rushed forward, their powerful auras spreading out and releasing waves of strong pressure.
"Four Three-Star Yuan Zong, that's not bad, but that's about it."
Upon hearing the words revealing the cultivation levels of the group, the expressions on the three elders' faces immediately changed. Then, a powerful aura, even stronger than theirs, suddenly emanated from the young man before them. In that instant, the three elders' expressions changed drastically. Before they could retreat, Xiao Yan's body suddenly trembled, and several beams of light flashed past like lightning. Flames flew, and his figure was sent flying backward. When he came to a stop, he was already severely injured.
In mid-air, Xiao Yan raised the Heavy Xuan Ruler and descended again, appearing in front of an old man. The giant ruler landed, and the old man was killed in one blow before he even had a chance to refute it.
Until the last person, whose previous attack by Xiao Yan had not seriously injured him, he could only suppress his fear and rapidly mobilize his internal Origin Qi to prepare to escape.
"Sir, I am a steward of Lava Fort. If you kill me, Lava Fort will hold you accountable for this matter to the death. If you spare my life, I will keep quiet once we return..."
"You talk too much nonsense."
Before the old man could finish speaking, Xiao Yan suddenly lunged forward. Startled, the old man hurriedly mobilized his Origin Qi to defend himself. At the same time, streams of Power of the Great Dao rapidly gathered around him, forming vines that coiled around Xiao Yan. The old man, meanwhile, quickly scanned the area, made a snap decision, and sped towards the molten lava-spurting ground not far away. Once he entered the lava, who could possibly detect his presence again!
"Boy, just wait and see the wrath of Lava Fort!"
With a roar, the old man accelerated, about to plunge into the magma. Suddenly, flames erupted from Xiao Yan's body, burning away the vines that bound him. At the same time, his gaze was fixed on the old man about to enter the magma. He smiled coldly, and with a flick of his wrist, the magma gushing from the ground seemed to come alive, transforming into a giant magma hand that grabbed the rapidly running old man.
"Idiot, don't you know that fire overcomes wood?"
As the faint, mocking voice faded, the old man quickly lost all his life force under the erosion of the lava. Then, Xiao Yan waved his hand lightly, and the lava dissipated. Only then did he turn his head to look at Qin Yan was not far behind him.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
"He won't die."
While asking with concern, Xiao Yan flipped his hand and took out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring, then stepped forward and handed it over.
Seeing the medicine bottle Xiao Yan handed him and the faint fragrance in the air, Qin Yan was slightly taken aback, then smiled wistfully:
"I almost forgot, you're also an alchemist."
Although Qin Yan had never seen Xiao Yan refine pills, the news of the latter refining pills in Burning Flame Valley had already spread throughout the valley, so he was somewhat aware of the matter. Without any hesitation, he swallowed the pill in the bottle in one gulp. After exchanging a nod with Xiao Yan, he decisively began refining it on the spot. Facing four Yuan Zong experts alone, the injuries he sustained were naturally not something that could be delayed.
Thanks to the pills given to him by Xiao Yan, Qin Yan's condition recovered somewhat after one night. The two of them then set off together into the depths of the mountains and forests.
During this journey, Xiao Yan learned that this guy had only broken through to the Yuan Zong a few months ago and then rushed to the Flowing Fire Plain. Until recently, because of the Fire Banyan Token, he was targeted by those four guys. If Xiao Yan hadn't happened to pass by, he would probably have really died at the hands of those four.
Half a month later, as the two traveled at breakneck speed, their view gradually opened up. Dense forests stretched out in a ring, revealing a verdant plain. At the end of the plain stood two crimson peaks, and between them, a huge city built of red stone lay slowly, like magma gushing from the earth.
This is the largest city in the Flowing Fire Plain, and also the dominant force in the Flowing Fire Plain: Lava Fort!